Shreyas Iyer remains out of action after sustaining a serious rib injury. Since the India vs Australia away ODI series, Iyer has been out of any type of competitive matches. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) left the middle-order batter out of the T20I World Cup squad as well. When will the batter make a return in a competitive match?

As of now, there are enough doubts over his availability during the India vs New Zealand series, which is scheduled to start on January 11 with a 3-match ODI series. After the ODI series, these two teams will be up against each other for a 5-match T20I series. More than the Twenty20 format, as BCCI's intention was to utilise Iyer for the One Day International format, it made his chances during the IND vs NZ ODI series lower. If the speculations are to be believed, then the 31-year-old can miss India's upcoming ODI series as well after missing out on the India vs South Africa ODI series.

Currently, the middle-order batter is making every effort to make himself match-ready. A photo of him working out in the gym has quickly gone viral on social media. In this photo, he is seen lifting heavy weights in the gym. Some still believe that if Iyer becomes fully match-fit before the New Zealand tour in January, he may be included in the squad for the ODI series.

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Shreyas Iyer can miss upcoming IND vs NZ ODI series as well

The team, which will feature in the T20I World Cup 2026, will be seen in action during the 5-match T20I series against New Zealand also. As Iyer is not a part of the current T20I setup, he is not going to play the Billataler Twenty20 contest.

If he remains unavailable for the IND vs NZ ODI series, then when can the batter make a return? There are high chances to see him in action during the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026). After a promising IPL 2025 stint with Punjab Kings (PBKS), Iyer will again be in charge to lead the team in the upcoming season as well. The tournament will run from March to May 2026.